We
were going to top our list of “Summer
Whites” with this beauty, as it was a nice
buy at $17.99. However, when the price
dropped to $7.99, it was a complete
“no-brainer” and we just couldn’t deny its
rightful place as July’s Wine of the Month!
Everybody from each department agrees that
this wine has something for everybody!
Domaine
Alfred’s vineyards were some of the oldest
in Central California’s Edna Valley. The
vineyard was replanted in the 1990s and
these wines have not skipped a beat. Their
wines have even been placed on Wine
Spectator’s
Top 100 list! The 2006 vintage produced
clusters with low natural yields, coupled
with slow, consistent ripening, resulting in
fruit with great intensity, showing both
brilliant freshness and exceptional balance.
This Chardonnay was fermented in both
stainless steel and in barrel, with only 30%
of the juice going through malolactic
fermentation.
DOMAINE ALFRED 2006 “GOSS CREEK”
CENTRAL COAST CHARDONNAY
What
you get is an elegant wine with a lovely
straw-gold color, and aromas of flowers,
almond, apple blossoms, white peaches and a
whiff of oak. One sip, and you’ll see that
these aromas follow through and are joined
by flavors of pear, melon, a hint of
tropical fruit and a touch of butter cream,
balanced by lovely acidity. This wine
performs a balancing act with California on
one side, and Burgundy on the other…and it
doesn’t even need a net! It’s rich enough to
drink on its own, yet vibrant enough to pair
with fish, chicken, soups and other foods.
In short, it’s delicious; drink it!
The individuality and flavor
excitement of these Andre Beaufort Champagnes is unsurpassed by
anything in our experience and reveal in glorious fashion the
heights that artisinal Champagne can achieve. In fact
we consider the Beaufort line-up to be the most significant
addition to our Champagne collection in more than a decade.
Yes, they are that good. Gifted winemaker, fastidious farmer,
organic pioneer Jacques Beaufort is all of these. He is also a
very reclusive man that shuns self promotion and that is why the
story his Champagne artistry has remained such a secret. This
past May, Antonio Galloni, of the Wine Advocate, finally
spotlighted the house with an in depth and highly positive
review. The scores and notes below are those that Galloni posted
on May 11, 2009 on the eRobert Parker website. The total
production of this family operation is just 2,500 cases, so
quantities are very limited.
BEAUFORT BRUT ROSE “AMBONNAY” GRAND CRU
Wine Advocate 92
Points - “Mostly Pinot Noir from the 2001 vintage,
with the addition of still Pinot, all of
which comes from vineyards in Ambonnay. This
richly-textured, expansive wine blossoms on
the palate with the essence of candied
cherries, sweet herbs, smoke, flowers and
minerals, offering tons of depth. The
weighty style should allow the wine to pair
nicely with a variety of foods, and the
lingering notes of sweetness on the finish
suggest an optimal pairing might be with
spicier dishes…Anticipated maturity:
2009-2014.”
$84.98
750ml [325528]
BEAUFORT 2000 BRUT MILLESIME “POLISY”
Wine Advocate 91
Points - “A
boisterous, exuberant Champagne loaded with
the essence of smoke, earthiness, ripe
peaches and minerals. Today the wine comes
across as rather young, but the material is
certainly there for it to develop into a
splendid wine over the next few years with
some additional time on the cork…
Anticipated maturity: 2010-2016.”
$89.98
750ml [325529]
BEAUFORT 2000 BRUT MILLESIME “AMBONNAY” GRAND
CRU
Wine Advocate 94
Points
-
“Finesse. Beauty.
Elegance. It’s all there. The wine
positively shimmers on the palate with
layers of silky-textured, perfumed fruit
that come to life in a gorgeous display of
class. Deceptively medium in body, the wine
reveals superb clarity in a chiseled style,
with a mousse that is exceptionally fine.
Overtones of mint, licorice, lemons and
flowers linger on the sublime finish. This
is a reference-point wine for readers who
want to know why Ambonnay is a Grand Cru
village. The Pinot character remains
suppressed today but it will emerge in
bottle. The 2000 Brut Millésime Grand Cru is
one of the most elegant wines I have tasted
from Beaufort…Anticipated maturity:
2009-2020.”
$119.98
750ml [325527]
BEAUFORT 1996 BRUT MILLESME “AMBONNAY” GRAND
CRU
Wine Advocate 94
Points -
“Captures the
best qualities of this
legendary vintage. Only the
wine’s volume is a hint as
to its age, because the
aromas and flavors remain
decidedly youthful. With
time in the glass mint,
licorice, oranges and dried
apricots reluctantly make an
appearance, but this is a
big, structured wine that
could still use another few
years in bottle. Readers
will have a hard time
waiting, though, as the 1996
is in a beautiful place
today…Anticipated maturity:
2010-2020.”
$219.98
750ml [325524]
92-Point California Pinot
Noir for Only $15.99!!!
Today’s e-mail
offering is a no-brainer! Hi-Time has been
selling the heck out of Paraiso’s Santa
Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir ever since the
2003 vintage earned a gold medal at the
Orange County fair a few years back. We’ve
felt that the amount of bang you get for
your buck just couldn’t be rivaled. We
tasted their 2007, and it’s their best one
yet, and Wine Spectator has just validated
our thoughts by bestowing upon this wine a
92-point score!!! As the old adage goes:
run, don’t walk for this one!!!
PARAISO
2007 SANTA LUCIA HIGHLANDS PINOT NOIR
WINE SPECTATOR 92
POINTS! -
“Serves up a trim, flavorful band of ripe
cherry, wild berry and strawberry jam that’s
elegantly styled and well-structured,
finishing with a long, complex finish
echoing anise and mineral. Drink now through
2014.”
